Category Archives: Rants
Before there was Twitter…
There was the pithy public bathroom stall inscriptions usually tallying 140 characters or less. Not to totally disgust you right now, but I had to visit a Walmart public restroom this week and found myself starring at this little work of graffiti. As you can see it reads, “Jesus died for you…What can you do for Him?…John 3:16.”
The answer that initially came to my mind was, “We can quit vandalizing other people’s property!” After all at some point there will be a man or woman who has to clean or repair this door because of some one’s really poor attempt at spreading the gospel message – what will their thoughts be?
Maybe the problem in the church today isn’t a lack of spreading the message that Jesus saves, but how we do it.
- Brad
OK, who is in charge of this?
Remember when this wasn’t next to the crackers you wanted in the vending machine?
I miss this being in the bathroom.
Good Grief!
- Brad
5 things i’m tired of hearing
5. “Slept like a baby.” What does that mean? You sleep 2 hours then wake up to eat…sleep 2 hours, then wake up to eat…sleep 30 minutes, wake up to just cry a little??????????
I have a new baby, I don’t want to sleep like one!
4. New Local Radio shows instead of syndicated ones. It started here in Knoxville with losing Jim Rome, now they are taking away the last part of Mike and Mike in the Morning – the best sports show in the USA for some more discussion on Jonathon Crompton and the Vols spring practice?
I love the Vols, but our local talent is killing me. Please I’m tired of hearing it!
3. “Let’s meet about it.” Discussion and idea exchange is important, but I go to way to many meetings. How about: Let’s ‘Do it’.
2. “We want to keep everybody happy” Since when did our mission in life become pleasing men. What about God? I wander how many times we kept God unhappy because we kept ‘everybody’ happy?
1. Contemporary and Old Fashioned. I am so exhausted at the contemporary vs. traditional debate. I don’t want the ‘Old Time’ Religion. I want an up-to-date, relevant, “can help me where I am at” relationship with Jesus Christ. There is nothing Old Fashioned about God. He is I AM, not I WAS.
I’m tired of God being put in any box – whether it be the box the organist sits on, or the box you store your electric guitar. Worship, Spirituality, and Righteousness have been defined by styles of music and ministry for too long.
If you think God only likes the music you like, whether it be Martin Luther or Mercy Me, get over yourself.
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Ahh, sometimes just venting on my keyboard is cathartic. If you get offended by what you have just read, that’s OK. Just start playing the song “Why can’t we be friends”
- Brad
A Cultural Defect
There are several things I love about our American Culture these days:
- Art: Some of the traditionalists will disagree, but i think we’re a pretty creative people.
- Generosity: We more charitable than the materialism preacher thinks.
- Sports: I love the capitalistic competitive nature that burns within us.
- High Definition: We’re always making ‘things’ better.
However, there are some defects in the America way.
Today, I want to single one of them out: A Deficiency in National Pride.
Just about everyone on planet Earth has scene the video footage of an Arab Journalist throwing his shoes at President Bush. Since there was no physical harm done to the President – it has become somewhat comical. Everyone in the comedy realm is having some fun with it. That doesn’t bother me too much.
What, however, is disturbing to me is the empathy that many Americans are showing for the man who displayed such remarkable disrespect OUR President.
Here is my issue: I don’t care if you are in the 85% or whatever number that CNN says hates George W. Bush, or if you are a supporter of his – He is OUR American President, and applauding an Iraqi journalist for dissing OUR President to me is simply idiotic. You can disagree fundamentally with the War in Iraq, or whatever other Bush policy is out there, but have enough pride in your country, and that means expecting recently liberated Iraqi journalists to show your President some decency and respect.
So to you Mr.Blogger, Facebook Headliner, News Editor, and other fellow Americans: Have some pride…you know the kind you have for your favorite sports team…have it for you country.
- Brad
It’s really no secret while many girls are struggling with self image…
I’m not much of a celebrity story reader, but I’ve seen two stories in the last month regarding the ‘weight gain’ of Cheryl Burke from Dancing with the Stars.
Ray Boltz and I Kissed a Girl
There are a couple of churches in my community who seem to rotate the “Righteousness Exalteth a Nation” sign with their “Whoremongers and Sodomites shall burn in hell” sign every week.
The Katie Perry song is all the rage right now, and this church communicated it’s feelings pretty strongly about it for about 24 hours.
On the other hand you have the really nebulous, “what’s the big deal, God made us this way response”
If you haven’t heard yet, Ray Boltz, a famous Christian song writer has announced that he is gay. Boltz known for his trademark hits, Thank You, Watch the Lamb, and The Alter came out of the closet recently in this magazine article. In the article Boltz says,
“If this is the way God made me, then this is the way I’m going to live. It’s not like God made me this way and he’ll send me to hell if I am who he created me to be … I really feel closer to God because I no longer hate myself.”
lust”, or what about “God made me with a tendency to steal, so I am going to be a thief…I even feel closer to God when I am stealing”, or better yet “God made me a pedophile, so I am going to abuse children because this is the way God made me”
If Boltz would have said, “I just don’t take the Bible to be literal in it’s teaching on homosexuality” or “I feel that the moral rules of the Bible were limited to that culture”, then I would not have agreed with him, but his rationalization for his gay lifestyle would not be so hideously weak and ignorant.
The truth is this: The issue of homosexuality is not going away, and the church is going to have to deal with it head on, but in the right way. What is the right way? I’m not totally sure, but the two extremes I’ve outlined here are definitely not viable options.
- Brad
Some of the most misused Bible verses
I am a preacher. I am a student of preaching. My mind is trained to not only glean spiritual nourishment from the sermons and teachings I hear, but also to filter out bad theology.
5.) Proverbs 22:28 “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.”
4.) Revelation 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
3.) Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
2.) Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”
AND, the # 1 most abused scripture: Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
